The present invention is directed to shelf organizing systems of the type typically used in large retail stores, and more particularly to an improved and economical design and construction of such shelf organizing systems.
Retail stores make extensive use of display shelving, typically in the form of so-called gondolas, which are self-standing units, usually in sections of four feet, provided with means for supporting display shelving at various heights. The individual shelf sections, which usually run the full four foot width of the gondola, may be of various depths, depending upon the requirements of the retailer.
Retailers frequently like to divide the surfaces of the shelf sections to provide front-to-rear confinement of individual products. This provides for a neater appearing display, and also keeps the merchandise properly aligned with the pricing and other information provided at the front of the shelf. It is well established that nicely organized shelves lead to greater sales. Some of the widely used organizing systems involve the use of an extruded plastic front rail, at the front of the shelf, which is associated with molded plastic divider elements, which attach to the front rail and extend rearward. To accommodate shelves of different depths, the plastic dividers typically are molded to the maximum shelf depth, and are provided with break-off sections at suitable increments, e.g., every two inches. For narrow shelves, portions of the molded dividers are broken off to fit. This results in some wastage and extra labor, but the cost of making separate molds for different lengths of shelf dividers is prohibitively high. Moreover, for relatively tall, narrow merchandise it is desirable to provide lateral support to prevent the merchandise from being tipped over accidentally. With molded divider elements, the cost of providing tall dividers suitable for this purpose is extremely high, because of the mold costs.
The present invention provides a shelf management system of exceptional simplicity and economy, in which the divider elements can be extruded in continuous lengths, and then cut to any lengths appropriate to the shelving. By this means, a simple, relatively inexpensive extrusion die is suitable for a shelf divider of given height and configuration, regardless of length.
The system of the present invention also enables the divider elements to be formed inexpensively of wire, which can be especially beneficial when providing for dividers with a substantial height dimension.
In a particularly advantageous form of the invention, an extruded front rail member is provided, which extends along the full width of the shelving. The front rail member is provided with a horizontal base wall which is secured at the front of the shelf, and a vertical wall portion which extends upwardly therefrom and forms a front barrier. A channel-forming wall is associated with one of the base or barrier walls of the front rail member and provides a retention channel for the reception and retention of individual divider elements at any point along the length of the front rail. To particular advantage, one or more elastic retaining flanges is co-extruded internally of the retention channel. The arrangement is such that a portion of a divider element is insertable into the retention channel, against the resistance of the elastic retaining flanges, which then serve to tightly grip and retain the divider element in its assembled position.
To particular advantage, the front rail member can be co-extruded of an opaque, colored plastic in the lower portion and clear, transparent plastic in the upper portion. The opaque lower portion conceals the interior of the retention channel, providing a neater appearing installation the color of the opaque portion can advantageously be matched to the color of the shelving.
In any of its various forms, the shelf management system of the invention is economical to produce, yet easy to assemble and adjust, providing optimum efficiency in shelf management for the retailer.
For a more complete understanding of the above and other features and advantages of the invention, reference should be made to the following detailed description of preferred embodiments of the invention and to the accompanying drawings.